The boys did not have as much sport out of the letter as they had
expected. The girls spoke to them pleasantly, without any reference to
what had been said or done, and they began to fear that some plan was
under way which might promise even better sport than their sleigh-ride.

"They'll get up something to beat us," Tom Hardy said, mournfully.
"It's got to be a pretty
smart boy who can get the best of a lot of girls, an' I tell you what
it is, fellers, they'll serve us out before we get through puttin' on
airs."

"Now, don't be an idiot, Tom," cried Si, angrily. "Do you want them to
say that we can't have a good time unless they're along too? Our
sleigh-ride will go ahead of anything they
can get up, an' they'll be mighty sorry they can't go with us."

"P'rhaps so," replied Tom, doubtfully; "but Aggie Morrell has gone home
to cook up some plan, an' we sha 'n 't know whether we're goin' to have
the best time or not till we find out what she's about."

"If you want to go in with the' ten-centers' an' wear a calico necktie,
why don't you say
so?" cried Si, now thoroughly angry. " If I wanted to, I would,"
retorted Tom. "I stood by an' saw you write that letter, an' I'll stick
to it; but all the same I'm sorry we've done what we have, 'cause
whenever we've started anything the girls have always gone in with us,
an' it looks mean."

More than one of the boys believed as Tom did, and the result was that